The Texas Renegade Returns

Friday, March 21

Poetry, Death

I succeeded in being well-rested and on time for today's mission. It's scheduled to last three days and we're currently about to go through the big gate into deep-space. Eeli took care of any initial uncertainty I had by glomming on to me the second I showed up and taking me on a tour of the Litara, though by this time the only areas I hadn't seen were the flight deck, the research labs, and the 'airport lounge' meeting areas.

There was still some time before take-off by the time she brought me back to the pods, but most of Second and Third Squad were already sitting waiting. You have to stay in your pod for take-off and landing, and when you go through the gate to deep-space.

"Are you able to tell me the rest of the poem now?" Eeli asked, as soon as I'd sat sideways on my seat. I could have wished she'd not waited till we had an audience, but at least it was only two squads.

"Guess. Is poem written by man name Dylan Thomas. Wrote for his father who was dying." I felt marvellously uncomfortable, adding: "My voice really not suited to this," but making an effort to put some feeling into it. I only know the poem because it was one of the few that we'd had to read in Eng-lit which I didn't outright hate. I certainly don't go round reciting at the drop of a hat.

I got through it by looking only at Eeli, but my face felt very red at the end. "That what wanted?" I asked, feeling even worse when I looked around and saw that I had all the captains watching me from the far door, along with those who'd been in the room when I started.

Eeli was enthralled, and said: "You sounded totally different! Like a different person!"

Annoyed, I told her: "Can actually speak own language, after all."

"But what does it mean?" Nils from Second asked, watching from the pod directly opposite. "A part of that was what you said in the Pillar, right?"

"Yes. Translation very bad, sorry." I read off the translation I'd been working on, wishing the captains would go away. If that gets put in the mission report I'll be extremely peeved.

"I got quite a lot of it!" Eeli said, excited. She cast a beaming look over at Taarel, like a kid who passed a hard test, then back at me. "Thank you for telling me the rest. It's so sad and at the same time beautiful, isn't it?"

I just smiled weakly at that, and was glad that the command came to prepare for launch. And I wrote this up while they did lots of prep-checks and then took off and now we're heading toward the interplanetary gate which, for the first time in four trips, I might actually be awake for.

Today's Assignment

The gate was dull. You can't properly see it from real-space, and once you're in deep-space there's just whiteness.

It took maybe twenty-five minutes to reach the exit to Muina, and once we were through Grif – Grif Regan, the Second Squad captain – briefed us for the first part of the mission. Unsurprisingly this involves going back to my town, and the Setari taking me down to visit the communication platform. They're going to see whether anyone but me can give people security clearance (I am hoping so hard) and then, whatever the case, they're going to clear everyone on board, offload a heap of equipment and set up a camp just outside town, keeping anything explodable separate. Then the Litara is going to leave us here. After that the Setari are going to explore more, including in the near-space, while the greensuits guard the greysuits as they analyse everything they can get their hands on. There's also a few non-KOTIS scientists of an archaeological extraction, brought in to begin the enormous task of recovering Muina's history.


Of first importance is the Ddura, of course, and whether it can be made to not blow up equipment, or if equipment can be given security clearance.

I think I'll need earplugs for the inside of my brain.

Saturday, March 22

Reprieve

The Ena manipulation talents can give people security clearance! I'm so happy. I didn't even hide my relief when we were on mission, and Taarel gave me the same sort of smile she gives Eeli, which was both nice and a little annoying, since she treats Eeli like an over-eager kid.

The Ddura didn't show up immediately, and we had finished clearing the ship's crew and were working on all the people who were going to be left here for the mission, before my ear-drums were blasted. It was all hhhaaa and hhhhiiiii at the same time, because there were lots of people it recognised as Muinans and lots that it thought were Ionoth, and it came charging up in this huge hurry to kill all the evil non-Muinans threatening its precious people.

The Ddura is really kind of stupid.

I had to keep telling it to stop ('sit!') over and over until everyone was given clearance. Then I had another shot at telling it not to make the things belonging to the Muinans explode, since all the drones from the last expedition had been exploded. Just picturing the drones and the ship didn't seem to mean anything to it, even when I could get it to pay any attention to me, so we tried putting a new drone right on the platform and tried giving it 'security clearance' and that may perhaps have worked, they're not really sure. The Ddura stopped treating it as a threat, anyway, so we did that for all the drones and any other largish bits of equipment we could get into the room. Then it was time for me to go visit medical on the ship just before it left, since the best equipment was there, and then back to shore, all drugged up to rest on a cot in the temporary medical tent while they started the business of setting up camp. I waited to watch the ship leave before lying down.

And now it's the middle of the night. Fortunately Grif had sent me a summary of the camp arrangements, or I would have had to go stumbling about looking for the portaloo tents. One of the greensuits on guard took pity on me and showed me how to get to the food which had been stored.

I'm going to try and go back to sleep now that I've written this. At least the Ddura shut up eventually. I don't much like spending all my time in uniform, either.

Dawn

When I gave up on sleep this morning there was a mist rising off the lake in the pre-dawn dark. The camp has been set up south of town and it's really impressive how much they've established in such a short time: mess hall, infirmary, sleeping tents, a central command, research and working areas. Lots of canvas, but they'd brought a vat of their nanite building materials along and some 'real' buildings were starting to take shape. When the Tarens make camp, they don't do things by halves.

There were lights on in the command tent. The person in charge of the expedition is someone called Tsaile Staben, who I may or may not have been introduced to during the extreme-headache phase of yesterday, and one of the research tents was bustling with people who were obviously used to a different shift.

There's nearly a hundred people here. I had no idea the mission was that large. Now that everyone has been cleared by the platform, the Setari are support on this mission, not the main focus. The greensuits are taking care of camp security, with the Setari acting as a kind of advanced warning system thanks to Combat Sight. My role's been reduced to trying to communicate with the Ddura, which is no problem right now since it seems that the Ddura has recovered from its excitement and gone away. Now that everyone has the same reaction to aether, I don't even have to worry about tomorrow's moonfall.

I was feeling oppressed and restless – I'd had way too much sleep – and decided to go down to the lake. There was a greensuit posted on the lakeside edge of the camp, but I got past her just by nodding as I walked by, like no-one would think of objecting to me going anywhere by myself. It's not as if the lake was very far away: the guard would have been within sight. It was incredibly quiet, just a few birds starting to think about it maybe being dawn, and so long as I kept facing the lake it felt like I was alone.

Before too long a tiny clatter of rock warned me that wasn't true and I turned my head to see the leg of a person standing on the rock behind me, and a hand in fingerless Setari gloves. And that was enough to know it was Ruuel. It amazes me that I can recognise him from his hands. Since Ruuel moves like a cat, I guess he must have made the noise deliberately, to prevent me from shrieking and leaping in the lake out of shock. Heh – I can't help thinking what an epic fuss that would have made in the camp, though.

"Is there something further along the lake?" Ruuel asked, which was less of a lecture than I'd expected, but also warning that I'd been looking south a bit too speculatively. But then, who am I to overlook an opportunity when it walks up and presents itself to me?

"Show you if want," I said, looking up at him. "One of things I miss about here."

His eyes went that abstract way people get talking over the interface, and then he nodded. I was pretty surprised, and then doubtful since it didn't seem likely I was going to be able to walk along the lake with Ruuel without obsessing over the fact that I was walking along the lake with Ruuel. But it didn't really work out that way. I was super aware of him, of course, but it was a beautiful morning, cold and crisp, and barely light enough to see, so I had to concentrate on not breaking my ankle.

It was a twenty minute walk, and was just getting on for proper dawn by the time we arrived at a small, deep stream draining into the lake, about a third of the way to the river that I'd walked along originally. When we were in sight of it I murmured: "Have to be more quiet now," which was a fairly redundant thing to say to Ruuel.

I stopped at the cluster of rocks I'd used last time I was there, notable for the cairn of rocks I'd constructed on the tallest one, and made a sit down gesture at Ruuel. My goal was there, fortunately: I spotted them straight away and pointed and then just watched.

That's going to be a memory I'll keep forever, even without my log. Dawn, the water glinting ever brighter, the sky mixing pastels. Birds starting to call and sing as the mist dissipated. And the otters which live in that stream dancing in the water as they dug little crayfish out of the rocky bed. I only snuck a single look at Ruuel, and while I have no idea if he enjoyed any of that outing, he at least was watching the otters attentively. Maybe he was thinking of the best and most efficient ways to kill them.

And then the Litara showed up, which most effectively destroyed the mood. As spaceships go, I expect it's relatively quiet, but it sure can freak out the wildlife.

"Are called otters, on Earth," I said, standing up. "What is range interface transmission, when not on Tare?"

"About five times further than this, when there's a relay." He was watching the Litara rotating for a landing position out above the lake. "Without a relay, not quite this far."

We started walking back, not hurriedly, though the Litara was well ahead of what I'd thought was its scheduled return. I thought of quite a few things I felt like saying, but kept them to myself, and Ruuel disappeared with a nod when we got back to camp.

Spaceships are an even better wake-up call than shrieking Earthlings, so there were a ton of people up and about. I'm sitting in the mess hall writing this and eating an extended breakfast while I wait to find out what's going on.

Construction Project

The Litara had returned early because the research techs wanted to try out a simulated security pass. So back to the platform. The Ddura turns up reliably once someone starts fooling with the platform, but must have been at a fair distance this time because it took a while. The techs got impatient with me for that, like I have any control over what the thing does.


What does the Ddura think I am? I can hear it and I guess it can 'hear' me when I'm touching the platform, but it knows I'm not Muinan and when the Taren Muinans are around it's just not that interested in what I'm 'saying'. When it finally showed up this time, it reacted to the drone with the simulated security pass in a confused sort of way – anxious and uncertain but not hostile. It can tell there's something not right about it, but the fake pass makes it familiar enough that it doesn't attack. That made everyone happy, including me in a "I'd smile if my head stopped hurting" way. They're still cautious, but they think this means that the Ddura probably won't go exploding all the equipment, and they'll be able to get new visitors to the platform without having to worry about the Ddura killing them on the way. They brought with them two small 'shuttle' type aircraft and they've staked them out as bait. One has the fake pass and one doesn't. They're on the east side of town on the crests of two different hills, so everyone can enjoy the show if they explode.

I wish it meant I could go back to Tare (I nearly wrote 'home', and felt awful), but I'm stuck here at least until the end of the original mission, even though they're probably not going to involve me in the moonfall. I wouldn't mind so much, except they swapped out Second Squad for Fifth Squad.

I guess Kajal must be stable and not completely stupid if they made him a squad captain. Just because he's a prick and treats Zan and me as if we shouldn't exist doesn't mean he's not good at his job. He's still doing the completely not acknowledging my presence thing, which suits me well enough, and it's not really obvious since there's so many people here.

Third and Fourth have been off most of the day exploring the near-space and surrounding spaces; a task made easy by the Ddura's hunting. Fifth and Eighth are assigned to guard duty, split up in pairs around the entire camp, in case something shows up to attack. Fifth is on now and Eighth has night duty. Having Setari squads guarding in shifts seems a real waste of their abilities. You can sure as hell tell that's what Kajal thinks, anyway.

Tomorrow night is moonfall, and they're in a huge rush to set up before then. There's nowhere good to hide away from all the activity. Before Third headed out Taarel mentioned that I shouldn't leave the area of camp, so it doesn't look like I'll get away with another excursion. I spent the bulk of the day in the infirmary recovering from my Ddura headache and the afternoon sitting on a rock down at the shore wishing that if I'm not allowed to leave, everyone would be quieter. I'm not even allowed into the 'old town'.

Cloudy today, but then windy. It'll probably be clear for the moonfall tomorrow.

Sunday, March 23

Boom

One of the shuttles exploded last night.

The right one, fortunately, and I could hear the Ddura being all happy about it afterwards. Funny that people could be pleased that a perfectly good piece of equipment was destroyed. I was in the infirmary, having carefully hung around the medic's tent in the evening looking tired and headachy until Ista Leema, the settlement's main medical person, started running tests on me and kept me in for observation. I have an assigned 'bunk' in with the Setari, which I didn't mind when my neighbours were Second and Third Squad, but found less amusing when it involved Fifth Squad one row over. Even the prospect of perhaps seeing Ruuel asleep wasn't enough to outweigh my dislike of Kajal.

I was reading when the shuttle went boom, and in a bit of a mood, so pretended to be asleep when I heard the noise in case they wanted me to go talk to the Ddura. Headaches are making me less than cooperative. I was thinking that it was useful to be able to read books with my eyes closed when I remembered that the interface would also show them I was awake, if they looked.

Oh well. Now that they've confirmed that the fake security clearance will work for their machines, I'm pretty sure that I'll be sent back to Tare tomorrow. Less important again, thank everything. I can start thinking about cautious 'going home' experiments without feeling guilty.

Male Posturing

Late afternoon, and everyone's keyed up about the moonfall. It's been a good day for me, since it didn't involve a headache, just a couple of private attempts to see if I have a path-finding ability by trying to locate Ista Leema. Otherwise, I found a great spot where I could sit on the lakeshore and read: snugged down between two rocks, out of the wind and almost out of sight.

Eighth Squad, who had been asleep all morning, came down to the water's edge with Fourth Squad and practiced the martial art which is the basis of their close-combat. That was a lot of eye-candy for me, heh. In terms of fire power, Ruuel's one of the weakest of the Setari, but knowing his talent set I wasn't the least surprised that he seemed able to avoid the blows of anyone matching with him. Eighth's captain, Kanato, had him breathing hard though, which I greatly appreciated.

They'd kept a businesslike atmosphere during the training session. Ruuel was his usual tersely-efficient self, of course, and both captains only made suggestions for improving weaknesses, gave the occasional nod of approval, and then dismissed their squads. They were standing together talking when Kajal, trailed by Nise, strolled down to the grassy bit of bank they'd been using as a practice ground.

"Sticking with the easiest targets still, Ruuel?" he asked, that really rich voice making every word double-mocking. "Why not try a real challenge?"

Ruuel barely spared him a glance. "You're on duty, Kajal."

"Is the complete absence of threat here a real concern? These continuing excuses begin to smack of cowardice."

"Take it however you like." Total indifference.

Ruuel walked off, and though Kajal looked really pissed he didn't do anything about it. Drama falls flat. Doesn't surprise me in the least that Kajal's like that, though I'm not sure why Ruuel refuses to spar with him. I expect Kajal wouldn't care unless Ruuel had beaten him in the past. Who knows? One thing I've never been is competitive – I'm too lazy – and I don't really understand the people who are.

Monday, March 24

Machismo redux

Moonfall started out as a real non-event for me since I wasn't involved in it at all. The greysuits had set all sorts of instrumentation monitoring and scanning different parts of the village, particularly the rooftops, the amphitheatre and the platform.

Third Squad had been sent into the near-space to observe from there, which was considered the most dangerous facet of the experiments, so they'd sent Eighth Squad to support them. No-one was allowed in the town during the beginning of moonfall, and then they were going to send in a few test subjects and Fourth Squad. Theoretically Fourth Squad were going to avoid getting drunk, though I had my hopes up.

The moon rose late and I was tired of sitting around in the chill. But it was pretty to watch from a distance, and I was very glad that the night hadn't gone the way I'd expected it to when we set out on this mission: me getting extremely drunk while everyone watched. After a while I bored of the light show and sat at a table outside the mess tent reading until people started to trickle back; greysuits and greensuits, Third and Eighth Squad, and then a disappointingly sober Fourth.

All in all I don't think they learned anything momentous. Certainly not how the whole thing works. People started to drift off, Eighth heading out to take up their guard posts while Ruuel and Taarel did their usual stand together talking quietly and looking like they're very much on each other's wavelength. I was busy trying not to watch them, and also realising that I hadn't arranged an excuse to spend the night in the infirmary.


"You've managed to be awake all day," Taarel said to me, coming over as Ruuel started off. "Quite out of character."

"Trying to make habit of it," I said. Taarel somehow always makes me feel a bit young and embarrassed.

"Working with the night-day cycle here is very interesting. It makes it considerably more difficult to keep shifts."

I was looking at Taarel, and didn't see the start of it, just the way her eyes went wide. I turned because there was a scuffling noise behind me, and there was Kajal taking a kick at Ruuel, who simply leaned out of his way, and did the same again when Kajal aimed a blow to his face, before moving abruptly backward out of reach.

"Report to the infirmary, Kajal," he said. "You've inhaled too much aether."

"Fight, you cursed gelzz," Kajal spat. "Are you so afraid I'll prove the better?"

"I haven't the faintest interest in measuring myself against you." Ruuel looked and sounded supremely bored. "The only thing you're proving is your own insecurity."

Kajal went all out then. And he was fast, really good (in as much as I am feebly able to judge, which is not at all). Ruuel just kept moving out the way. Quite a few of the Setari and random green- and greysuits had noticed but kept back. Taarel looked irritated, which is unusual for her, but she didn't interfere. Finally, there was a blur too fast for me to follow and then Kajal was sailing through the air and twisted to a landing just in front of the tables. The grass is trampled muddy there, and he didn't come down too hard.

"Give up this game, Kajal," Ruuel said, his voice incredibly cutting. "I won't hold back if you try to play it again."

It was a pity Kajal was facing in my direction when he stood up. I saw the change in his face when he realised who I was. Taarel saw it too, and said: "Don't be an idiot," but it was too late; she wasn't quick enough to block him. His hand to my shoulder knocked me into the table and then he really was a blur.

Ruuel rolled with the blow to his face, not fast enough to avoid it altogether. Nor the kick to his stomach, the smash to his knee. And yet the second bout ended the same way, with Kajal sailing through the air and this time slamming hard into the ground in front of the tables. Ruuel walked over to him, and it was very easy to remember that the Setari were trained killers as he stood looking down at Kajal, face haughty as hell. But all he said was: "Infirmary," and walked off that way himself, limping.

I don't know what the fall-out from that's going to be. It's not like the greensuits came and marched Kajal away. Does aether effect count as enough of an excuse? I decided not to mention the really nice bruise on my arm where Kajal pushed me into the table, and this morning everyone was acting as if nothing had happened.

I'm just glad to be heading back to Tare. Eighth Squad have been left behind as guards, taking it in pairs since there's been no sign of any Ionoth attacking the settlement. They think the Ddura is 'based' there and thus keeps it far clearer than the rest of the planet. I'm listening to the faint change in the hum of the ship as we prepare for take-off and trying not to be too obvious in watching Third and Fourth Squad in their pods.

Ruuel has the best black eye.

Out of the box

We had a side-mission before we returned through the rift gate. I didn't find that out until we were on the way there and Taarel started the mission briefing. We were going to look over the second of the towns with 'circle roofs' which the satellite had found. I was assigned to Fourth Squad, who were going despite Ruuel's slight limp. Sefen from Third toted a drone which floated along behind him like a kite.

This town was on a river, not a lake, and the Litara didn't land, but sent us out in a small flyer-shuttle-thing and then, I guess, flew around in a circle. The town looked so similar. Almost the same plants, a similar layout, central amphitheatre, blockish houses. But at the same time, very different.

"Threat."

We were well away from the edge of the town, following the remains of a road in the process of being undermined by the river. I'd been looking doubtfully at the very large number of paw prints laid over each other, so wasn't particularly surprised. Sefen of Third indicated the first of them, standing well uphill. Muina's version of a wolf, perhaps, though it was more like a border collie than the pictures of wolves I've seen. Black and white, not long-haired, ears upright – a bit larger than border collies and not nearly so amiable-looking. Not snarling, but watching in an attentive way, and the Setari wouldn't be talking threat unless it was thinking about attacking us.

"More ahead," Ruuel said, glancing at Taarel.

"We're not here to clear," she said. "Respond to attacks."

That was an uncomfortable journey. The dogs didn't attack, but we kept seeing them on the tops of buildings and at the end of streets, watching, following. I was left with a strong impression of organisation and intelligence, and Auron and Ferus stuck very close to me. To my relief it looked like the dogs didn't like the amphitheatre. Since the main reason we were there was to check out the platform, the emptiness was a big advantage.

The platform room, other than suffering from a lot of ground grot, was just the same. The Setari took some touch readings, and set up the drone, and then the Ddura arrived. Completely hysterical.

"Different Ddura," I said, under all the Hhhhhaaaaa!-ing.

"In the ecstatic phase," Ruuel said, using text over the interface. They all kept talking in text after that, which I thought was nice of them. And better still that Fourth Squad took me back up top while Third finished the final tests. It was still horribly loud, but nothing like as painful as being in the same room as the platform.

There were a ring of the dogs at the upper tier of the amphitheatre, just watching. Stephen King had come to town. I tried to figure out which dog was the pack leader, but there were quite a few candidates.

One thing about communicating with text is it's only my grammar which sounds bad. I don't have to worry about my dreadful pronunciation and can write a lot before I transmit it. When Third Squad came up to join us, I sent: "These maybe descendant domesticated working dogs. Similar type to species my planet. Very intelligent animal. Very strong herding instinct."

"How many of the animals on Muina resemble those of your world?" Ruuel asked.

"Hard to tell with birds, bugs. The sheep, the cats, these dogs. Domesticated animal. Otters, not domesticated animal, though did see once documentary people use them to fish. And the people, of course." I was tempted to ask what he thought of my idea that the Muinans had originally been Terrans, but decided I could live without that being on the mission log.

The dogs 'saw us off', totally like a tribe making sure strangers left their territory. That was their town, just as the first town belonged to the cats. Had belonged.

I was thinking about that a lot and watching scenery as we flew to the rift gate when Tsaile Staben sent me a channel request, a thing which surprised me since she was back at the first town and because bluesuits as a rule don't talk to me.

"Devlin," she said, when I opened the channel. "It is traditional for the person who discovers a location to name it. The town where you were located was provisionally named at your retrieval, but the new settlement now needs a label. What will it be?"

"Pandora." I didn't even have to think about it, just translated it into Muinan text.

"Recorded," she said, and closed the channel. Bluesuits make Ruuel look chatty. A few minutes later the new name popped up on the settlement's map, giving me a fine sense of power.


Eeli had left me alone for the start of the flight back – I'm pretty sure Taarel gave her a lecture about bombarding me with questions, especially when I'm in headache recovery mode – but not long after I spoke to Tsaile Staben she came up to the corner of the observation lounge area where I'd parked myself and asked how I was feeling.

"Is good," I said, smiling at her eager expression. She really is too sweet and funny. "Would go lie down if headache drug wasn't working."

She lit up. "I wanted to ask about the name of the settlement. Is Pandora the name of someone special to you?"

I laughed at that. "Don't know anyone name Pandora."

Ferus from Fourth strayed over. I never seem to have these conversations without an audience. "Do I get to guess too? Maybe it's the name of the place you live on your world?"

"Is creation myth from part of Earth called Greece," I said, suspecting Ferus of wanting to make a few entertaining suggestions. "Pandora was first woman, made by the gods. They gave her a box, told her she must look after it, but never open it. No-one ever seems to invent sensible gods. Pandora couldn't resist, lifted lid a tiny crack to peek into box. But lid burst open and all the bad things in the world came flying out – hate, misery, greed. Pandora frantically try and shut box, but too late. Pandora in tears, seeing way she wreck the world–" I broke off, because Eeli obviously had no trouble working out why I'd called the settlement Pandora and was looking incredibly hurt and upset. I shouldn't underestimate her. "Story not over," I said, patting her arm. "Pandora in tears, when she hear noise from box. Something still inside. A voice, pleading to be released, make her brave enough to open box again. The last thing in box is Hope, which is the thing which makes possible to endure all the bad things."

I smiled at her. "Is story of doing something irreversible. I unlock Muina. Bad things will come of that. But good things too. Point of name is that cannot be undone. Been feeling very small, thinking about that."

"What bad things?" Ferus asked, rubbing Eeli's shoulder.

I pulled a face. "Did you look at building they making there? Great big box. Tarens don't know how live with outside any more."

That made Eeli laugh, and surreptitiously wipe her eyes. "It's a right name, isn't it? One that fits."

"Thought so when Tsaile Staben asked me. Was thinking of those dogs, and the cats at first town, and other animals on this planet. For them, would be better if box stayed shut? Even though Seventh Squad make bad joke about killing them, the cats at Pandora won't be let stay at amphitheatre. They already starting move away because not like so many people where kittens are. That been their place for centuries. Feel sorry for them. But this world belong you. Not my place to say, no shouldn't be here."

I'm pretty sure the Tarens couldn't screw up Muina nearly half as badly as we've done to some parts of Earth. Though I have my doubts about them understanding the concept of balconies and a nice view any time soon.

Tuesday, March 25

The art of doing nothing much

A nice quiet day. Not even a medical exam after the one I had after the flight yesterday. I went swimming, and walked the torture stairs, but otherwise just lolled about being glad to be wearing something other than my uniform, and trying to magically transport myself into the bathroom. It's hard to work out just what it is I did to get to Earth.

I seem to have a rotation with First Squad tomorrow. I've missed them.

Wednesday, March 26

Unstable

Unstable rotations involve a lot of fussing over how long the gates are going to last. The spaces were flooded, which meant using the breathers and telling our nanosuits to be more like wetsuits. The first flooded space was a memory of trees, where sharp leaves whirled around like faceless fish and Lohn's enhanced Light talent came in handy because Fire is not a useful talent underwater, and you sure as hell wouldn't want to use Lightning even if First had that talent. After the aggressive leaves there was a big cavern filled with scaffolding around a monstrous Greek-style temple.

This was a space First Squad had only seen once before, one of a series which switched into this position. The Ionoth which was there was one they'd never encountered, a long, flat and frilly thing, like something you'd see on the Great Barrier Reef, but larger. It curled and wound its way through the scaffolding, trailing afterimages of itself.

Maze and Zee came back to the drowned forest space instead of signalling us through. "Kettara, come through with me. Remainder, hold here."

They both enhanced and went through. The brilliance of Lohn's Light wall lit up the gate, but then he returned through it, shaking his head. Maze stayed just in front of the gate, then lifted both of his hands. The scaffolding broke apart and dived toward the Ionoth until all I could see was a pin cushion of metal and a spreading darkish cloud of blood. Telekinesis is dangerous when there's things to pick up.

Everyone looked tired when we got back, and very wet and cold. That rotation had been a lot of swimming, and the leaves especially had been hard to deal with – Lohn hadn't been able to keep up with the swirling clouds and when they got close the Setari had to kill them with their suit weapons.

While we were being scanned for stickies Maze said: "News of Pandora has leaked."

"That took longer than I expected." Zee gazed abstractly into nothing for a moment, then said: "They're making the official announcement in response."

"Will news cause any problems?" I asked as we all headed for the showers. I find it funny to have a shower and have a conversation with six people at the same time, but the channels make it very easy to do.

"Not for us. The demands of people insisting they be taken to visit will cause other sections of KOTIS a few headaches, but they were really only holding off the announcement because they weren't completely certain the camp wouldn't meet similar disasters to the previous attempts." Zee paused. "Check Far Channel."

I didn't know what that was, but managed to find it just as Mara said: "Will they confirm?"

"Partially," Maze said. "It was inevitable details of Caszandra's existence would be known eventually, especially given the role she played on Muina. The factor which we knew would cause controversy is the relationship between Earth and Muina."

Which was exactly what was being discussed on Far Channel, a news and rumours service with attached forums. That Muina had been unlocked was the biggest news, but Far Channel added that they'd learned that a stray working with the Setari had been pivotal. The news service itself didn't say much more than that, but the forums went far further. That the stray was from a parent world older than Muina, and possessed immense powers. That she was called Pandora, and could control the Ddura, had already located and destroyed one of the Pillars, and was teaching the Setari the secrets forgotten after the abandonment of Muina. Nine parts wild speculation, in other words.

"People will have strange idea of me," I said, after a short silence during which I'm sure everyone was reading the same interesting stories.

"Venerable Sage Caszandra," Lohn said, but added more seriously: "Some of this is a trifle vicious."

"No Heart Mind follower will embrace the idea that Muina is not our original home," Alay said. "I have to admit I find it strange myself. But you truly believe that, don't you Caszandra?"

"Earth has fossil record going back millions years," I said, coming out of my shower-room, still working on my hair. I've been considering cutting it short lately, because even though the showers are very fancy things that blow gales of hot air at you for drying, it's getting annoying having to work out the tangles. How Taarel manages those twirly pig-tail things I don't know. "Suppose possible Muina has one too, that people came from Muina to Earth millions years ago. Not very likely simultaneous identical evolution two different planets."


"Would that bother you?" Mara asked. "If your people were truly Muinans?"

"No. Lot of people Earth would think that great fun. And lot of people Earth wouldn't." I shrugged at Maze, who was watching me closely while we waited. Heart Mind was the main Taren philosophy/religion based on venerating Muina as a mother, and there seemed to be quite a few followers who were calling 'me' interesting names. "Unless upset Heart Mind follower likely get in KOTIS and push me down stair, don't care what say. Don't know anyone but people here. They not likely make me talk to media yes?"

"You're covered by the same privacy arrangements as the Setari." Maze gave me one of his approving captain nods, glad I wasn't going to be upset. "And I think I can safely say that KOTIS isn't going to let the media anywhere near you."

"I once volunteered to be a sacrificial offering to the media," Lohn said, coming out to give my shoulder a squeeze. "The interest in us is so voracious that a couple of us gave strictly anonymous interviews to a few selected representatives. KOTIS also releases details of spaces we clear to ease the hunger."

"Do you watch the fictions about Setari?"

Maze pulled a face, but Lohn shrugged. "Sometimes. The Hidden War keeps close to the actual issues we face. I don't think I've seen or read anything which hasn't included some wild improbabilities for purposes of drama. KOTIS isn't nearly so rife with intrigue, and we don't bend the rules half so often."

"Let alone take trips into the Ena for romantic interludes," Mara said, fluffing her hair as she and Alay came out. "Hurry up you two; my stomach is eating through its lining."

We went off to lunch. First Squad, particularly Lohn, were really tired, but I realised they were sticking with me while they looked through more of the discussion about me, and until they had some official direction on what the response to that would be. Which was to announce that a displaced person had indeed been part of the Setari mission which had unlocked Muina, and that this person originated from Muina's 'sister planet' Earth, which unfortunately did not possess developed talents or the knowledge of the Lantarens.

And I'm absolutely not allowed to go out into the city for the foreseeable future. Bleh. Mara says we can do more dodging practice to make up for it.

Thursday, March 27

Behind the news

Mara worked me into the ground today. First dodging, and then jogging around the obstacle park. Later she showed me more things you could do with your suit: how to make the weaponry and even covering your head. Then we swam.

I've another rotation with First Squad tomorrow, then another day of Mara, then another rotation. After that there's nothing booked except my inevitable medical exams, but Mara said that I may be sent to Muina again.

I'm thoroughly bored of reading stories of the unlocking of Muina and the increasingly unlikely descriptions of me. The bits I don't already know are the bits which make me feel bad. I don't think these Heart Minders are really likely to try and hurt me, but it does make me uncomfortable to have upset people just by existing. I'm glad that I'm assigned to First Squad for a while, and that Mara's left me too tired to fret too much.

Which is probably why she's doing it.

Friday, March 28

Roaming

Today's rotation was the closest I've come to being in danger working with First Squad. Another unstable rotation, which took us to a space full of these big metal containers stacked in rows, like you'd see at a port. It wasn't the space First Squad had been expecting, and it was the first time they'd encountered the type of Ionoth we met there.

They were humanoid, but covered with a white-grey hair, and they seemed to have made themselves a home in the containers; a busy township. We were still outside the gate, looking through, when two of them leapt out, slashing at Maze with rusty metal pipes. As a dozen more of the hairy people came rushing at us, Ketzaren grabbed me around the waist and hauled me backward through our current space, which was an awkwardly low set of tunnels through pearly-cream rock.

It was bloody, horrible. The attackers were fast, armed and very determined, but First Squad were well-practiced at close combat, and enhanced. They'd been surprised by the rush, but didn't come close to being overwhelmed.

"Withdraw to the entrance," Maze said, as soon as the last had fallen. He cast a quick glance into the container space, then followed as rear guard as everyone immediately obeyed.

"Broken?" Zee asked, watching him roll his shoulder and wince. They'd not been able to avoid being hit entirely.

"Seems not. Anyone else?"

"Nothing major." Lohn was clenching and unclenching one hand, and took out his med-kit to spray some bandage over a cut across his knuckles.

"Any chance to read the gate?"

"It looked solid. Days, at least," Alay said.

"We'll go for a clearing entry approach," Maze said. "One blast from Kettara until we have a chance to evaluate."

The hairy people looked smaller in death, and the spreading pool of their blood made the gate entry both unpleasant and slippery. But none of them were lurking on the other side, and so Maze gestured us through and we moved to a defensible corner while they tried to estimate numbers.

"Dozens," Mara said, at last. "A few outliers circling, but most congregated that way." She nodded toward what seemed to be the centre of the space, where the containers were piled highest.

"I'd prefer a height advantage here," Zee murmured and Maze nodded his agreement.

The tops of the containers were rusty and pitted, and a couple of times crumbled alarmingly underfoot. But being up high allowed us to see the trap a few moments before it was sprung. A higher row of containers trembled, then became a tilting wall of metal which threatened to squash us and take out the containers we were standing on.

Maze had said "Up," before I even saw that, and we rose immediately and swiftly as the trap took out the entire area between the gate and the centre like a row of dominos. And before the noise had even settled they began shooting at us with crossbows, one catching Alay in the leg before Maze and Lohn between them created a mini-cataclysm in the area below. There were only a few left alive after that, and Maze and Zee chased them down while the rest of us gathered on top of a slightly tilted container to check Alay's leg.

"Two made it through a gate," Maze said, returning. He surveyed the bolt Mara had removed from Alay's leg. "Any sign of poison?"

"Nothing apparent," Mara said. "I've sealed the bleed."

"We'll short-survey, then. Gainer, let us know if you start experiencing any symptoms."

Alay, Ketzaren and me stayed where we were while the others made a circuit of the space and inspected the bodies of the Ionoth, crisped though most of them were. They didn't dawdle over it, and we were soon heading back out. Maze paused at the gate, then crossed to a kind of wicker cage tucked in one corner, cutting it open.

There were a half dozen little Ionoth in there. They reminded me faintly of ET, and all of them were in pretty miserable condition, like someone had been poking them with pointy sticks. They moved slowly, blinking fearfully at Maze, who stepped away, then signalled for us to leave.

"The original inhabitants of that space, I think," he said, following us through the gate. "These must be roamers." He surveyed the corpses again, extra-thoroughly, and then we headed back at double-time, with Zee carrying Alay using Telekinesis.

A truly horrible day. The Ionoth in that space, both types, were different from those I'd encountered before, more...real for want of a better word. Well aware of the gates between spaces, ready to defend themselves against attack, and a far cry from animals or shadows. And they drew blood.


I'm beginning to understand why Maze always looks so tired, beyond the strain of using psionic talents. It's from worrying that someone in his squad will get killed. I need to stop asking myself how bad First's injuries would have been if they hadn't been enhanced.

Saturday, March 29

Competition

First Squad's off rotation for a few days to give them a chance to recover. I asked Mara if squads ever went out with less than six members, and she said it's rare, but possible so long as all the required talents are covered.

"Did it seem to you those hairy people prepare that ambush and trap particular for Setari?" I asked.

"It certainly felt that way, didn't it?" Mara said, straightforward as usual. "But the type isn't in our records at all, so it's more likely we stumbled into some kind of inter-Ionoth dispute. Perhaps a different band of their own kind."

"That happen a lot?"

"No. Many Ionoth do move to nearby spaces seeking food, but usually return to their own after hunting. Roamers that are systematic explorers, or make any attempt to dominate other areas, are rare and most will fade if they are too long away from their home space. Those were well-organised. Formidable."

Mara has moved on from just throwing balls at me, and in today's lesson was trying to get me to block attacks. She'd told me that I had no instinct for combat but that that was no reason I couldn't be taught to defend myself. I still have my doubts, but I accept the value of trying to learn. She's not soft with me, but she doesn't ever say nasty things or make fun of me for being so bad, and in a painful way I'm enjoying being back with her.

"Who is best fighter in Setari?" I asked, thinking over the battle between Kajal and Ruuel.

"A question best not asked, as you apparently learned."

"Did Kajal get punish for that?"

"He would have lost privileges. The aether effect is not enough to excuse his behaviour, but does mean he's not likely to lose captaincy over the incident."

"Maze doesn't like Setari competing against each other, because of scene like that? Ruuel could have defuse situation by agree to fight him. But Kajal would never been satisfied, right?"

"Not unless he won," Mara agreed. "Maze doesn't like anything which focuses our energy on each other rather than the Ionoth. While we were still Kalrani it was useful, but it's becoming an unhealthy distraction for a few of the younger Setari."

Ruuel's been on my mind a lot today (not that he isn't usually) because now that First Squad's on sick leave, I've been assigned to Fourth Squad for tomorrow's rotation. I wonder how the black eye's progressing?

He was really annoyed about it. More being forced to fight than the injuries. And he didn't think Kajal had the slightest chance of beating him. That moment of anger, of disdainful arrogance, caught me by surprise. I've been putting a lot of thought into what Kaoren Ruuel is really like: whether he's a humourless robot with a rod up his ass, or the Taren stereotype of a Place Sight talent, all sensitive and haunted and needing always to keep control. That fight showed me that I don't know him at all.

I need to spend more time practicing ways to get home.